The Tempest Given
by Beatrice Gold
Summary: Katniss and Peeta have won an exotic vacation to District 4. Katniss is seven months pregnant, and the fun never ends with shopping at beachside maternity stores and taking strolls down the shore with Peeta while eating strawberry ice cream with pickles on top. But she never expected to be a victim of the deadliest tsunami Panem has ever experienced. This is beachfriend.
1. Chapter 1

_The Tempest Given  
_Chapter One

"Katniss! Wake up!"

I groan and bury myself farther into the bedcovers.

"No, Peeta, go away," I mumble. I hear Peeta laughing as he rips the blankets off of me, and I give a shout at the sudden freezing temperature. "What the hell?!" I laugh. Peeta pulls me into his arms and tickles my stomach.

"I just thought you'd like to know..." he says as I yelp in protest between my gasping and giggling.

"Peeta- the baby-" I gasp.

"She's fine!" Peeta laughs. "I just thought you'd like to know that because I love you _so _much, we could have a little trip to District 4," he finishes, holding up a pamphlet and finally stops tickling my abdomen.

"What?!" I say, snatching the paper. On the cover is a picture of a sandy white beach with transparent turquoise water. Underneath it reads, 'You've won!'

"You entered a contest?" I ask.

"Yep," Peeta says. "Just checked the mail and found out we won. The package comes with a free car, free hotel, and extra money to spend on restaurants by the beach. The hotel even has a beachside view."

"I can't believe it," I say, grinning. "I love you so much." I give him a kiss. "How long does the vacation last?"

"Three weeks," Peeta answers. "We get to leave today."

"Today?!" I'm already trying to get off the bed.

"Whoa, hold on, Katniss. Let me help," Peeta chuckles. I'm seven months pregnant. Not handicapped.

"Wait, I can do it. Has this bed been always this high?" I say. Peeta helps me anyway. I give him another kiss. "Thanks. Now can you make breakfast?" I ask.

"Sure. What would you like?" Peeta asks.

"Oh my god. You know what I've really been wanting?" I ask with a devilish grin on my face. Peeta sighs.

"If letting you eat it," he says.

"What about... pickles?" I ask. Peeta raises his eyebrows. Knowing my cravings, he knows there's always more.

"With whipped cream and brown rice?" I ask, my voice raising hesitantly. Peeta laughs and brushes a strand of hair away from my face.

"If you really want it."

* * *

"Well look at _you_!" Effie squeals as I open the front door. My old escort smothers me in a hug, and then steps back quickly and makes a face like she just touched a rotten cucumber. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asks worriedly. I almost laugh at her innocent and naive nature. I'm still not so sure about her being in charge of this trip, but after the Hunger Games she works there now; creating contests for vacations to the especially beautiful and exotic places of the districts.

"Well hand me your bags, Katniss. You don't expect me to let you carry these all the way to the car!" Effie says, extending her hands.

"But- the car's just in the driveway-" I start. Peeta comes up behind me and shuts the door.

"Well aren't you going to give Effie your bags?" he asks.

I groan as Effie giggles and snatches them from my hands. "I really can handle carrying bags!" I protest. Peeta smiles and rests his hand on my back to guide me to the car. "Really!" I say.

"It'll all be over in two months and you can do everything independent again. But really, Katniss, you're seven months pregnant. At least let us baby you a _little _bit," Peeta says. I smirk and tie his seatbelt while he gives a small protest. The car runs to life as Effie shoves in the keys.

"You know, Katniss, there are lots of nice maternity stores in downtown District 4. I can take you down there sometime tomorrow. They have lots of beachwear." Effie tells me as she drives.

"You mean like- _muumuus_?" I ask, and Peeta stifles his laughter.

"Oh, goodness no!" Effie exclaims. "Those one of the absolute _worst _fashion choices imaginable. Obese and pregnant women are completely opened up to the fabric- Katniss, I can't even go on. Imagine. If word hit the streets you were wearing that..."

I laugh and lean into Peeta as Effie continues to babble about the devastating mess a muumuu was on pregnant women.

"Thanks for this," I whisper into his ear. Hormones weren't treating me well. Life wasn't the best ever since they got all riled up, and I'm thankful Peeta is trying to help me out at having a good time. He wraps his arm around me and I snuggle into his warmth. "Effie!" I say. "How about I go naked instead?"

Peeta and I chuckle and Effie shrieks and swerves the car sideways in shock, almost hitting a very annoyed man in the car next to us.

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	2. Chapter 2

_The Tempest Given  
_Chapter Two

We arrive sometime later, after a long journey full of Effie's monologue about what pregnant women should and shouldn't wear while sunbathing, swimming and lots of other meaningless things; we leave the train that had taken us to District 4 and exit the train station.

I look around us as we walk, leaning into Peeta and imagining the white sandy beaches and clear skies and cool ocean waves, almost wandering through my own thoughts, sleepy and dreamy. I only have one eye open when Peeta taps me on the head, rousing me from my dreamy thoughts. I look up blearily and Effie tutted, scolding me about posture and expression. When my eyes clear enough, I look up and let out a gasp.

Towering above us is a great glass building, shining blue in the late afternoon sky with numerous other buildings attached and its own path to the beach. "Oh, Peeta," I breathe, "it's beautiful!" I suddenly started feeling really giddy and start complaining about the length of the path up to the shining glass doors. "Why is it so long?" I whine. "It's so- gah..." I shake my head and trudge up to the doors with Peeta and Effie. They slide open when we are a few feet away and we step inside the ocean-themed lobby. Peeta shows the smiling receptionist something and we are allowed into the elevator, which is similar to the one in the Training Center. Just slower. A lot slower.

The elevator dings to the ninetieth floor.

"Here we are!" Effie says brightly. She leads us down a soft blue hallway which looks like fish are swimming slowly along the walls. The carpeting feels like sand in my toes so I wiggle them around my open toed shoes just like I would if actual sand were in them. Finally Effie stops at the last door and waves around a card.

"Peeta and Katniss Mellark?" the door asks. I gasp at the strange technology and Effie laughs.

"Yes," she says in a clear voice, and the door swings open. Inside is probably the prettiest hotel room I've ever been in. It's a suite, so it's pretty big. The right wall is purely a window looking out on the beach of District 4. A fountain splashes blue, green, and pink water behind the giant white couch and television. The kitchen in the next room is stacked with cookbooks on fancy seafood dishes and its own automatically revolving drink bar. The large bedroom has two big beds with an additional bathroom similar to the ones in the Capitol. I want to settle down right now and fall asleep on one of the plush white bedspreads.

"My room is right down the hall if you need me," Effie says, breaking my thoughts. "Right now though, we are going to a very fancy seafood restaurant by the water called Azure Aquavore, so nice outfits, you two. Unfortunately, this time when I take you on tour I can't tell you what to wear," she says and walks out.

"Isn't this amazing?" I ask Peeta excitedly. "I'm so glad I get to be here with you." Peeta wraps his arms around me and rests a strong hand on my belly. I always love these protective gestures he makes with the baby.

"I'm so lucky to have you," he says. I giggle and give him a kiss. We stand there for a moment until I feel a little poke in my stomach.

"She wants us to get moving," I say and Peeta laughs.

"Well if she wants it, it better happen, right?"

* * *

"Can I take your order, ma'am?" our distinguished looking waiter whose tag reads "Winston" asks me. The entire time he's served us he has this permanent dirty look etched on his face. Like we're not good enough for him.

"Can I hear the specials?" I ask innocently. I'm not completely sure, but I think I hear him groan quietly.

"Pomegranate glazed salmon with apple horseradish cream and baby shallot potatoes, coconut ginger mussels with bacon, flounder rolls with caponata and arugula, and boiled ghost shrimp, saffron, and white wine mixed with noodles," he says with his nose poised in the air. I'm too busy to notice with my drooling over the menu.

"I'll take all of it!" I say hungrily. "With pickles!"

"Is this the party that won the free vacation?" Winston asks. Effie nods.

"Just them, sir," she says, making a circular motion with her finger over Peeta and I. Winston bows.

"Of course. And for you, sir?"

As Peeta gives his order, I feel a small tap on my shoulder. I turn around and find a little girl that looks about eight behind me.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," she replies. "I'm Eden."

"That's a really pretty name," I say. "I'm Katniss,"

"I thought so," Eden tells me. "I learned in school about the Hunger Games. They wouldn't show them to us, but we saw everything else." I bite my lip. If my hormones start acting up, I'm really in for it. I muster a half smile.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Are you having a baby?"

"Yes. She's due in two months," I say, rubbing my abdomen.

"You should name her Prim!" Eden says, her eyes lighting up. I make a quiet choking noise but quickly disguise it with a cough.

"Eden," a soft voice calls from another table.

"Well, I've got to go. Nice meeting you!" Eden says, and scampers away.

"Who was that?" Peeta asks.

"Her name was Eden," I tell him. "She recognized me from the Hunger Games."

"She ask about the baby?"

"Said I should name her Prim," I say and make that choking noise again.

"Oh, Katniss. Are you okay?" Peeta asks with concern.

"I'm fine!" I say a little bit too cheerfully.

Effie chats the rest of the time, saying things like, "Aren't these appetizers exquisite?" and, "I just love how these walls change color!" and, "Tomorrow I _must _take you out to shop downtown, Katniss, and after lunch we can all go out to the beach!"

When we all finish eating, Winston comes by and thanks us stiffly for coming. He escorts us to the door and Effie thanks him for his generosity with a kiss. He bows and turns to leave, and to my surprise I see a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Peeta whispers something to Effie, and she nods. I expect for her to bring us back to the hotel, but she just walks away.

Peeta takes my hand and leads me away from the restaurant. I lean into him and he wraps his strong arms around me. Before I know it, I hear the rising and falling of water on the shore. The beauty of the sun setting reminds me of Prim, and before I can stop myself, I make the noise again.

"Katniss, just let it out. It's okay," Peeta says and pulls me closer. I chomp down on my lip, willing myself not to cry. Peeta kisses my head, and then it's like a dam explodes. I start to sob; a waterfall of tears dripping from my eyelids. Damn hormones. We walk down the shore as I let out my tears. When my sobs finally become farther and farther apart, Peeta leans down and gives me another kiss. "Do you feel better now?" he asks.

"Loads," I say, grinning. "You're going to be a great dad, you know." Peeta laughs.

"You're going to be an even better mother," he says.

"No way!" I say. Peeta starts to tickle me again, and I giggle. He picks me up bridal style and carries me across the beach side. I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," he says.

**This chapter got some help from Ebee Kit. This part started at the beginning and ended at the elevator ride up to the hotel room. It's a really good beginning, isn't it? Thanks for the help from the writer's block! :)**

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	3. Chapter 3

_The Tempest Given_  
Chapter Three

The next morning, I wake up with a horrible crick in my neck, and look down to see I somehow managed to throw not only my pillow, but every other pillow off the bed. Peeta laughs at my bewildered face and gives me a kiss.

"You kinda had a little fit last night. Don't you remember?" he asks and I shake my head. "You were mad at me for waking you up in the end, and demanded I get you your bow so you could hunt some crabs," he continues. I laugh.

"I don't even remember that!" I say. "_Crabs?!"_

"Yeah. After that I tried to explain your bow was at home, and you started to insist that no, it was under the seaweed cushion in the kitchen of Azure Aquavore."

"Did I almost force you to go back?" I ask. Peeta nods and chuckles.

"You calmed down after a while."

"So, is Effie taking me shopping or something?" I ask.

"She was, until I asked if we could go down to the beach and do our own thing," Peeta says. I grin.

"Peeta, that sounds amazing!" I say. "I'm going to go get ready. Can you make a recipe in one of those cookbooks in the kitchen for breakfast?"

"Sure. No weird food cravings I'll need to keep in mind?" Peeta asks.

"Um... I'm kind of in the mood for pickle juice..."

"That'll be easy to put in."

I jump up quickly.

"Okay! Come on! I really want to get going!" I say, and tug on Peeta until he gets up.

* * *

"Look, Katniss! Get your bow! I see a crab!" Peeta shouts and pulls me toward a fat, grumpy looking crab digging a hole in the ground. I laugh, but begin to shriek as it starts to approach us.

"Peeta! Peeta! Get it away from me! It's going to bite!" I cry as the wind whips my hair violently across my face. The crab stops, and returns to digging its hole. Peeta laughs and I playfully punch him on the arm.

"Hey, why don't I go to that new ice cream place and get us some ice cream?" he asks suddenly.

"Sure!" I say. "That sounds amazing! I was kinda having a little bit of a sore throat."

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks with concern.

"Yeah, it's _fine_. It's no different than it would be if I wasn't pregnant. Swear!" I say, and pull Peeta forward.

"No, Katniss. Stay here, okay? It's a few streets away, and I don't want you to walk that far," he says and gives me a hug.

"But- okay," I say with a hint of defeat. We laugh for a little, and then Peeta brings me over to sit on a beach chair.

"I'll be right back, okay?" he says.

"Okay," I answer, and lean back on the chair.

It seems like hours later, but finally I see Peeta's shape silhouetted against the boardwalk and shining sun.

* * *

Full of strawberry ice cream and pickles, I watch Peeta throw the last crumbs of ice cream cones away. Warmed by the sun and the fluffy towel underneath me, I doze off into a heavy sleep.

I wake up to find Peeta shaking me. "Shh," I mutter and wave him away. He frantically continues shaking me until I'm forced to get up.

"Katniss," He says urgently. "Katniss, we need to go." I can hear a few people breathing quickly and rushing from the long, wide beach. I don't see what the fuss is about. Maybe a storm creeping towards Panem. I don't know. Then, as I'm rubbing my eyes, I hear Peeta tell me frantically to stay here and don't move. Then he carts a small girl from the beach and points her toward some houses that were several blocks away. Then he turns towards me. All color drains from his face.

"KATNISS! RUN!"

I whip around just in time to see the wave come crashing down.

**Yay! Finally the tsunami part! I know you all have been very impatient for this and it's finally here! I'd like to give my thanks again to Ebee Kit, who wrote the last part of the chapter and got me through some major writer's block. Again, amazing job! Please review, follow, or favorite! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

_The Tempest Given  
_Chapter Four

Black. Pitch black. That is all I can see. It is like a blanket of darkness closing in on me, muffling any screams or shouts I could utter. The world is gone, and so am I.

What brings me back to my senses is when my entire body slams into something big. A house? Pain shoots down my stomach, and I cry out in pain. I am tossed back and forth, to and fro between pieces of rubble. They beat into me and I shout out in pain. I swim frantically, higher and higher, but the higher I get, the more I feel far away. I let myself sink to the ground, beaten and deflated. I can see nothing, just black. Why isn't death releasing me?!

I start to get faint. Air is running out. That's good, right? I can drown down here and be free... I won't have to deal with Peeta's death, either. At the thought, I start to sob. The water muffles every sound I make.

The waves throw me about violently, and the remains of a tree cut into my stomach. A scream warped drastically from the water escapes my mouth. I need air. There's no question about it. The black water wants to swallow me up and kill me. I swim to what I think is the surface furiously. I try to open my eyes but the grime and shards of wood and glass floating around keep me from doing so. My hand brushes against something soft. At the moment I don't care whether it's alive or dead; it's a break from the hard rubble that crashes into me every other second.

The sight under my eyelids becomes foggy and light. I need to get my nose above water. I need to. I wildly kick my legs because my hands are useless as they drop against my sides. Panic rises deep within me and I inhale a huge mouthful of saltwater. It burns horribly as it goes down my throat. I know it is filling up my lungs and I am going to drown. The black water surrounds me and my throat feels smaller and smaller.

I pedal upwards as fast as I can. _I don't want to die. I don't want to die. Do I? No. I don't. What if Peeta really_ is _alive? He could be and I want to get to him. Now. _

With a newfound strength, I tense my muscles and propel as fast as I can to what I desperately hope is the surface. And then, suddenly I erupt from the barrier of water. The sun sets slowly in the distance as I cough and sputter.

"Peeta!" I scream as loud as I can. "Peeta!"

But there is nothing but the wind. Sobbing, I take hold of a hopefully sturdy palm tree and hug it tightly. My baby is probably dead. We hadn't even picked out a name for her yet. We were certain we have two more months. I stroke my abdomen softly and a sharp jab ripples through my body at the touch. But I keep doing it. "It's okay," I whisper as if she were still here. "You're okay."

The downtown of District 4 is ruined. There is rubble for as far as I can see. Small, four or five foot islands of sand patches and a tree or two pop up here and there from the water. The water. The ocean water used to be a clear, transparent turquoise. Now it is a dirty brown and full of gritty, nasty furniture and other things like cars and spoiled food. There is not one house here that is still standing. Maybe there are some that are okay underneath all of the rooftops. The beautiful hotel where Peeta, Effie, and I stayed in was gone. Some of the remains were probably drifting away with the current right under my feet. Effie. Where is Effie?!

I start to imagine her body floating slowly along with the current; makeup washed away, wig gone, exuberant Capitol fashions ripped, torn, dirty, and bloody, pale and waxy face painted in a permanent grimace...

I give a wail of despair and begin to rub my baby again.

"Shh... it's okay. I'm okay. You're okay," I whisper, and wipe away another tear. I squeeze the tree trunk as hard as I can and scream. I scream for seconds, minutes... or are they hours? I scream until my voice is a ragged whisper. Night is falling rapidly. What if another wave comes and I can't see it?

Whatever happens, I'll have to face it by myself. Alone.

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	5. Chapter 5

_The Tempest Given  
_Chapter Five

My head begins to spin when the sun finally goes down. I jump every time I see a wave bigger than usual. But I still stay latched to my tree, eyes squeezed shut.

* * *

The next morning, the birds caw loudly from the treetops. I lift my head up, and immediately wish I hadn't. Pain shoots down my neck, spine, and abdomen and I let out a small wail.

"Peeta!" I scream. "Peeta, it _hurts!" _Nothing. I haven't seen another human being for hours. "Someone! _Anyone! _Please! Help me!" I shout. "Please." I rest my head against my tree and start to cry again.

Then, suddenly, to my left there is a loud splash. Weakly, I turn around towards the noise and find a shattered man stepping through the muck.

"There's a hospital nearby," he rasps. "I was sent to collect anyone."

"I can't move," I choke out in dismay. The man calls out in the distance and soon two women appear carrying a dirty wooden floorboard.

"This is all we have as a stretcher," one of them says gently. "We can carry you in that." I nod slowly and try to heave myself out of the sand.

"Hold on, we'll help you," the other says. She grabs the skin under my arms and pulls. Hard. It feels like my arms are about to rip out of their sockets. I give a shriek of pain as the woman keeps tugging. The man says something to her and heads away in the other direction. Finally, relief floods through my body as the two women thunk me onto the floorboard. They carry me quickly and quietly through the swaying sea grasses and remaining dunes.

"My name is Aria, by the way," the woman on my right end says. "And she's Kayah," she adds, nodding towards the other.

"There's a huge old hospital that the upper half wasn't touched by the water," Kayah informs me. "Do you have any other family members we can find and bring back to shelter if another wave comes?" A sharp pang ripples through my heart.

"No," I whisper. "Just me." Kayah and Aria nod solemnly and continue lugging the 'stretcher' through the ruins of District Four.

Eventually we reach a cracked and split up road, and shortly after a beat up car rumbles toward us. Aria waves one of her hands, and with a lurch the car stops in front of us. The same man that found me earlier is driving it.

"We can't go with you on the ride to the hospital, but Micah will take good care of you," Kayah says softly. I swallow as they open the backseat and put me inside. The car is full of bodies. Micah doesn't seem to mind, though. He shoots off as soon as the doors are closed.

"You pregnant?" he asks gruffly. I nod, then realize he can't see me, and choke out a 'yes'.

"My wife was pregnant a few years ago," he continues.

"That's wonderful," I say. "Did you have a girl or a boy?"

"Never knew," he says. "Wife and baby died in a car wreck." I gasp.

"That's horrible!" I say softly. Micah shrugs.

"Eh."

I decide I'm not really sure I want him to keep driving me to the hospital.

Eventually, the road evens out, but water is gathering. As I look farther on, I begin to notice how bad this tsunami really was. A huge lake covers what used to be District Four. Only the tops of the highest buildings remain. Boats dot the surface of the water, waiting to pick up victims of the disaster, I guess.

"You swim?" Micah asks as the car screeches to a halt. I shake my head.

"I'll call for a boat." As he does, I turn around and rake a hand through my hair. Reality was finally settling in. Peeta was dead. My baby was dead. My life would never be the same again. My lower lips quivers, but I stop it. Now is not the time to cry. A boat finally makes its way towards us. It's a wooden rowboat, with paddles and everything. They dip into the water gracefully and splash water when they reappear.

"I'm headin' back to the beach. I think you can handle everything for now," Micah says loudly, breaking my thoughts. I nod shakily as the boat pulls up beside the car. The water is very shallow here. If it goes any farther it'll be stuck. A middle aged woman and a little girl are rowing. I turn around to thank Micah for the rescue and the ride, but he's gone. I sigh and turn back.

"Need any help getting on?" the woman inside the boat asks me. Actually, help would be great. But it feels like I'm getting way too much of that lately.

"No," I say. "I got it." Steadily I climb into the boat and grip the sides. The little girl stares at me as she rows away from the road.

"Katniss?" she asks. "It's me, Eden." I look at her and breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank god you're all right!" I say. Eden smiles and nods, then frowns.

"I wish I could say the same for you," she says. "But they'll fix you up at the hospital!" I nod, and start to wonder what she means. It's only when I feel liquid dripping heavily from my side I understand, and remember. The sharp tree. I look down, and the sight makes me dizzy. It cuts deeply, and skin is ripping off drastically. Pus, blood, dirt, and other things I can't decipher cling to the wound, and the center is swollen and white. I gag. The woman looks at me in alarm.

"Are you okay?" she asks. I nod weakly and stare straight ahead. I must not look at it again.

Finally, we row up to the hospital's front. I can tell it used to be very large, but only half of it was visible from the wall of water surrounding it.

"This is where we have to leave you now," Eden says softly. "But I'll visit you sometime tonight, if I can find you." Find me?! But there is no time to think, because with a steady hand the woman at the front of the boat guides me to a crashed in window, and with a lurch we both drop.

**Soooooo sorry for the long update! I was really busy! Please REVIEW, follow, and favorite!**


	6. Chapter 6

_The Tempest Given  
_Chapter Six

"Name?"

When we finally get through the line at the front desk, a tired looking receptionist grasps a clipboard, ready to jot down my information.

"This is Katniss Mellark," the woman speaks for me, and I'm glad. I really don't feel like talking.

"Okay," the receptionist writes this down messily. "Any vital information we need to know?" The woman gestures toward the receptionist, and I know I have to answer this one.

"I was pregnant before the tsunami hit," I say shakily.

"Ah," she says, and copies my words on the paper. I notice it's packed with other patients' names and information; my name is scrawled into the very tip of the margin. "Okay. Your room is number 433. You'll be sharing it with fifty women." I try not to let the shock show on my face as the woman from the boat nods, and takes me away.

"Since you can walk, I'm taking you up to your room. They'll give you food and water, warmth, and a phone to call someone to come and get you. No papers need to be signed. They'll check on your entire room at night to make sure you all are okay," she says. Then she holds my hand in hers gently, and looks at me. "Good luck to you," she says sincerely, then lets go and walks away. I didn't even get her name. I take a tentative step into Room 433.

It's very quiet, and burning hot as well. Mats upon mats are set up in neat little rows. There are two beds; the one on the far left side obviously was supposed to be separated by a curtain, but it must've fallen down. Four women share each bed. As I look around, I begin to notice how really crammed everything is.

Something reaches up and grabs my arm. I shriek, and almost everyone looks up.

"It's okay!" a voice whispers. "Now shut up." I look down and see a bruised and bloody woman clutching my wrist as if for dear life. "I be wanting to tell you there be a mat down here. But you gotta lay down and try to sleep peacefully. The doctors be coming in to check on us. And you shouldn't want them to think you be ill," she says a little louder. Judging by her accent, she must've come from the poorer part of town. I slowly sink onto the small mat laid out beside the woman. Even though it's as hard as a rock, it feels wonderful.

"Why don't I want the doctors to think I'm ill?" I ask her curiously.

"Because," she answers, "they take you away. Do surgeries to find out what be wrong. They be horrid painful, because they saving all the painy dullers for important things. I should know. Had a good right nasty cough." I shudder. If the doctors get a view of my hip, they'll for sure take me in.

"I forgot to ask," I say, trying to change the subject. "What's your name?"

"Veranna. And what be yours?"

"Katniss."

"Ah. In the backs of me mind I feel I've seen you somewhere," Veranna says slowly, and looks me up and down. Her face twists up in surprise.  
"You don't be from-"

"No," I say quickly. "I'm from District Eight. Not a lot of people know me. I'm not very popular." Veranna looks at me suspiciously, then shakes her head.

"Looks like you got a nasty bite there, eh?" she says, pointing with a dirty finger to my side. I nod.

"I was caught up in the tsunami at the beach. A scraggly tree branch hit me," I say. Veranna gazes at me with admiration.

"A real survivor. Katniss, you must have been through an awful lot to have gotten through the meanest waves right at the shore. Most of us only be hit by the waves in the city, where they aren't as strong," she says. I don't say anything. She has no idea.

A door slams nearby. Veranna gasps.

"They be coming! The doctors!" she whispers, her voice tight with fear. All around me, the other women shift to more peaceful positions, and seem to plaster content expressions on their faces. Since there were no blankets to hide my hip, I try to move my ripped shorts further up, but they stay where they are. Footsteps pad up to our door, and there's nothing else to do but roll over.

Excrutionating pain shoots through my body as the exposed flesh makes contact with the mat. The door squeaks open, and I can hear many feet pounding on the ground through the room.

"Your group take this side! I'll lead mine over here!" a gravelly voice shouts. A man kneels beside me, and checks my blood pressure.

"Breathe," he instructs. I inhale loudly. "Hey! This one ain't doin' too good!" he yells over his shoulder after a few seconds. More men come running over and check my blood pressure again and my breathing patterns.

"Hey, roll over for me, will ya?" someone asks. My heart begins to race. If the doctors see my hip, what horrible things will they do to me to fix it?

I shake my head vigorously. "It's fine!" I say a little too cheerfully.

"Roll over," the doctor demands sharply. I give a sigh, and do as he says. "Whoa-ho-ho. Rogers, we'll be needing to take this lady down to the office!" A man who can only be Rogers meets the other doctor beside my mat.

"Aah. Yes, we will," he says, and I recognize the same gravelly voice as the doctor first shouting orders. "Stretchers are in the hallway. We'll need to get her in right away." I let out a soft whimper as Veranna shakes my hand.

"It was nice to meet you, Katniss," she says softly. "We can only hope they use those damn painy dullers on ya. Otherwise-"

And I'll never know what she was going to say, because the stretcher was ready, and the doctors were moving me onto it.

**Sorry for another long update! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! There's more on the way. Thanks for reading, and please review! :) **


	7. Chapter 7

_The Tempest Given_  
Chapter Seven

I am carried into a white room with loads of equipment, and placed upon a table strewn with sharp tools and blood.

"All we're going to do is cut off the dead skin and blood, and heal your wound in the best way we can. I actually can't explain else will be done, but if it gets too hard to bear we'll give you some medicine to make you sleep. But I can't promise you won't feel anything," the doctor with the gravelly voice says. "Oh, and, you can call me Doctor Rogers." I nod, too stunned to speak. Suddenly, the door bursts open and many doctors in white rush in, their feet slapping the sterile white floor with each step. They get right to work.

At first, all I feel is a tiny scratching where my injury was. Someone must be prodding it. Then it begins to feel very uncomfortable; I try to shift my body, but to my horror I see that iron bars have been wrapped around my wrists, calves, and upper abdomen. Pain shoots through my body as another doctor begins to peel away at the skin from my wound. My head falls back agains the table and I begin to feel dizzy. The ceiling swirls about, and I begin to squeal like a stuck pig. I might as well be a stuck pig. Black spots dot my vision, and the doctor's faces begin to warp and twist.

"She's blacking out!" a voice shouts, and the last thing I see is a giant metal mask being placed over my face...

_"Mommy!" a voice screams. I open my eyes. _

_"Mommy!" the voice screeches again. It sounds like a little girl. I look around. I'm at the beach again, but no one is with me. All that's here is the sand, the waves, and a hole in the ground. I look about nervously, then rush towards it. Inside, about a few yards deep, is a girl that looks about four or five. _

_"Mommy!" she squeals. "I'm alive- so you _have _to save me!" I open my mouth to answer, but a strange noise stops me. I turn around slowly. The tide is rushing towards me quickly. And the water isn't a clear blue anymore- it's _red! _The water has turned into blood, and now it's licking at my feet. I turn to look down at the girl- but she's gone. In her place is Peeta._

_"Peeta!" I scream. "Peeta! You're okay! Oh, Peeta-"_

_"You didn't listen!" Peeta says, voice tight with grief. "She told you- you were supposed to listen!" I reach out to him, tears __streaking down my cheeks._

_"Peeta-" I start.  
_

_"Wake up!" he shouts. Only this time, it's in Doctor Roger's voice. "She's not waking up!" Then, the beach begins to fade away into darkness._

My eyes shoot open, and the first thing I see is Doctor Rogers and his assistants staring down at me.

"You're awake now, I hope," he says slowly. I nod shakily.

"Y-yeah. Did the... um- operation go well?" I asks. Doctor Rogers snorts.

"I'd hardly call it an operation," he says. "All we did was a little poking, then a little prodding, then a little cutting, then- well, you know what I mean. We... didn't find an infection. But unfortunately you'll have to wear this bandage for a few weeks, unless you'd like more surgery, of course." He gestures toward a firmly-strapped cloth around my hip. "You'd be better already if all the good equipment weren't washed away." He looks around sadly, and it's now I truly realize how it isn't just my life that was drastically impacted by the tsunami. A doctor takes my hand and helps me off the table. To my relief, I notice the iron bars are gone and I hope to never see them again in my life.

"C'mon," the doctor says. "I'm going to take you back to your room." As she leads me away, thoughts cloud my mind. First, there's absolute relief that that the doctors had used on me what Veranna had referred to as 'painy dullers'. But what about the dream? Was that little girl what my daughter would have been? Emotion catches in my throat as I remember everything I loved and held on to was gone. I hardly notice when I get back to room 433. The doctor leaves me and i head over to my mat beside Verrana. She's already asleep. When she wakes up I'll have to tell her about what happened during the surgery. I'll have to interpret my dream later; right now all I need is sleep. I collapse onto the mat and wait for it to find me.

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! If anything confused you at all, please feel free to PM me. Thanks for reading, and please review! :)**


	8. IMPORTANT MESSAGE

If you're reading this, you probably love FanFiction. Maybe you have a Deviantart account and love to draw. A lot of us have a Youtube account and regularly post videos. Well, if you love all three, listen to this.

We need your help to stop a bill called SOPA from being made into a law. What is SOPA, you ask? Well, here's what it is. SOPA is a bill that COULD be made into a law that requires ALL FanFiction illegal everywhere you are, and the case may be the same with Deviantart. This also includes Youtube. I know what you're thinking. What the heck does_ Youtube_ have to do with anything? It has nothing to do with fandom or copyrighted work. Well, here's the sad truth.

It does.

Say you post a video. It's of you and your friends dancing to some cool song you all love. That's illegal. I bet you don't believe me. _I _didn't believe the news when I heard it. But yes indeed, SOPA is _real._

So, here's where you come in. There's a way to stop this bill from being made into a law. It's simple, quick, and makes you feel accomplished afterwards. Go to: **petition/stop_sopa/ **and sign as many petitions as you want to STOP SOPA from happening. You'll be glad you helped! If this doesn't work, try searching: **Where do you sign petitions to stop SOPA. **That's exactly what I did. There are many petitions to sign.

I really hope this helped! Join the fight and stop SOPA from being made into a law!

-Beatrice Gold


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